Blackhawks goalie Crawford: 'I feel great'

Corey Crawford sprawled in the crease, flashed his glove to make saves and move side to side with no limitations during the goaltender's first practice with Chicago Blackhawks teammates in about three weeks.

"I feel great," Crawford said following practice Monday at the United Center, the veteran's first since suffering what a source said was a groin injury Dec. 8 against the Florida Panthers. "After the Christmas break everything has gone well. I haven't felt the injury at all on the ice. I'm ready to go."

Crawford said "there's a pretty good chance" he'd dress during the Hawks' two-game road trip beginning Thursday in New York against the Islanders. When he does return, he will have to shake off the rust of being sidelined.

"Timing is always a factor," he said. "We practice at a pretty high pace so it's maybe a little easier when guys are shooting like they shoot in a game and come in on you with a lot of speed. It definitely helps when you've been off for a little bit.

"It felt pretty long when I was out," Crawford added. "I was getting pretty bored there. It's nice to be back on the ice with the guys. It was maybe a little bit longer than I wanted. We want to be on the cautious side, too, to not reinjure it and be out even longer."

Crawford said he didn't believe the injury impacted his chances to be named to Team Canada's roster for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi in February. The roster deadline is Jan. 7.

"There's still time," Crawford said. "They know what I can do."

Antti Raanta will make his 10th consecutive start when the Hawks face the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night at the United Center.

"Antti's great," Crawford said. "He's been playing awesome. He's kept us in games and he's also shut some games down when we've taken the lead. You can't really ask any more of him, the way he has been playing."

Teammate Patrick Sharp earned the NHL's First Star of the week honor Monday after scoring six goals in three games.

"Three games when the puck was going in and the team was playing well and I guess I was a product of the team's success," Sharp said. "It's kind of cool to be recognized like that but we have a number of guys in our locker room that can be recognized indivdually and when the team is playing well, that's when all that kind of stuff comes along with it."